It's finally here. We are approaching just one more month in the U.S. and starting to prepare to head back to Vienna. There are so many thoughts and emotions tied to this upcoming transition, some of them conflicting. I am simultaneously excited to return home to our life, our community and our dog, as well as sad to leave our family and friends here. I am excited to speak German again, but also intimidated by going back into a culture that is still somewhat foreign, where I have to concentrate a more to accomplish daily errands and tasks. I can't wait to have a space again just for our family, but I have enjoyed being spoiled living with family - easy, free babysitting, and few cooking and cleaning responsibilities. I look forward to returning to my friends and community in Vienna but will deeply miss our friends and family here in the U.S.
When you are away from somewhere, it can be easy to idealize that place. I think I have done that over the last 6 months with our return to Vienna. I have been fantasizing about returning ever since we left. Some friends, also missionaries, recently reminded us that even though we really look forward to heading back home, moving back to Vienna will also mean going through a cultural transition and it may not be as smooth or ideal as we expect. This has been on my mind a lot lately. I have missed home so much during our home assignment, but it's been good to process the transition and think about what might be hard to get used to again when we return.
Amidst these thoughts, we also have some logistics to think about! We have packing and shopping to do, so that we can bring back our favorite and most useful products from the States. We have preparations to do for our summer interns, who arrive just 5 days after we get back to Vienna. We want to hit a few more items on our "bucket list" before we leave our passport country and get on the plane. Would you pray for us? Pray for a smooth transition and that God would prepare our hearts for all that is ahead, whether smooth or not!
Photo credit: aselaneli from morguefile.com
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